unexpected. Covid-19 has put this in sharp relief, but it is by no means the exception. Every crisis, whether it be an environmental disaster, reputational threat or financial precarity, must be understood in terms of the preparedness of the executive – how well have they already considered all possible outcomes, intuited the future, covered off all contingencies and unpredictable ‘black swan’ events? Therefore, design-led strategy is important – now more than ever. Design-led strategy is one approach that executives can adopt to ensure they stay relevant to customers, both today and tomorrow. We need new approaches to creating strategy that keep up with the fruitful and dynamic intersection of business, science and engineering, and are informed by speed and agility. Do you think the events of 2020/2021 (from Covid-19 to geopolitical upsets and environmental crises) will lead to short-to-medium term changes in how businesses need to be run? I think organisations are determined by the energy and motivation of the people who staff them. The biggest challenge of 2022 will be renegotiating the organisational-staff relationship, as staff (hopefully) return to offices around the world, and also
education leader, this is also an important issue for our students coming back onto campus. Getting this right, and making people relaxed, comfortable, and excited to reconnect as we recover from Covid-19, is the top priority. Do you feel optimistic about the future of business, Business Schools, and the economy? Absolutely. The great privilege of university life is to come to work every day and look down the pipeline of the future. We have extraordinary challenges facing our society and economy, but also incredible discoveries. Business Schools play such a vital role in these, offering the economic, financial, communication and organisational skills to realise ideas into action. Any student wanting to run an organisation, found a company, or be a good colleague will always find something of value and use in a Business School education. But I also think a business education should be had in combination with other disciplinary knowledge and other worldly skills so that our next generation emerge
rethinking the nature of flexible work, team building, and remote and digital communication. How does your School facilitate career opportunities for international students who wish to stay on and work in Australia after graduating? Our MBA Careers Team provides a range of initiatives to help all our MBA students make important decisions about their career. We provide services such as personalised careers coaching sessions and career development workshops. The aim is to help students develop an individualised action plan to achieve the career they want. We also work very closely with industry partners, prospective employers, and recruitment agencies to bring more internship and employment opportunities to our students and alumni post-graduation. An example is our LIFT mentoring programme for graduates. This is a free, flexible, and online flash mentoring programme that allows our alumni to engage in multiple mentoring partnerships with our dynamic 90,000-plus Business School alumni. And what are the next steps for yourself as a Business School leader? As flagged above, being present for staff as we work through change and recover from Covid-19 is the big issue of 2022. As an
from their university education as all-rounded, resilient, and multi- disciplinary citizens.
Professor Eric Knight is the Executive Dean and Professor of Strategic Management at Macquarie Business School. Previously, he was Professor of Strategic Management and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research – Enterprise & Engagement) at the University of Sydney. He is a Rhodes Scholar, Fulbright Senior Scholar, and has held visiting positions at the University of Oxford and Stanford University. Knight is internationally recognised in the fields of organisational theory and strategic management. He earned his DPhil from the University of Oxford, before working for the Boston Consulting Group for several years.
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Ambition | BE IN BRILLIANT COMPANY
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